Why can’t Seattleites drive in snow? Our giant ego

Maybe it’s better to bike when it snows in Seattle. (Snowstorm, 2012. Photo by Joshua Trujllo/seattlepi.com).

Why can’t Seattleites can’t drive in snow?

Every year, there’s spin-outs, pile-ups and abandoned cars when it snows. You can blame Seattle’s topography and fairly mild climate, which mean some snow, white-knuckled drivers and hills.

But there’s one more factor: Big egos. It’s not just that we can’t drive in snow. It’s that we think we can. And worse: We think we’re great, according to a new poll of Northwest drivers by PEMCO.

How great? Check out the findings in the slideshow below. (It doesn’t go into a possible third factor in our lame snow abilities: SUV drivers who feel invincible. But weigh in on them in our own poll at the bottom of the post).

What’s that? Seattleites also can’t drive in the rain? We’ve noticed that too, and recently asked readers why traffic slows to a crawl every time a few drops fall from the sky. Here’s their best answers.